Ship construction



H. P. FREAR 2,092,504

SHIP CONSTRUCTION Sept. 7,1937.

Filed Oct. 26, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. P. FREAR I Sept 7, 1937.

' SHIP CONSTRUCTION 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Out. 26, 1936.

gwuenioz V 171/ 70 EH60):

Q My Sept. 7, 1937.

H. P. FREAR SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 H1590 Pfiear:

' Sept. 7, 1937. H. P. FREAR 2,092,504

SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 w i l k $3 I a 3 QR is N3 Q w w I T gwwwto'c fil ya lfican ww I 1937. H. P. FREAR SHIP cous'ra'ucnou Filed 001;. 26', 1936 Sept. 7

9 SheetsSheet 5 gwuamto a Sept. 7, 1937. H. P. FREAR SHIP CONSTRUCTION 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 26, 1936 m i kk Sept, "Y 13?. H. P. FREAR 2,092,504

SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1936 9 SheetsSheet 7 w m "5 Q9 Q5 \N Sept. 7, 1937.. H P FRE R M92504 SHIP CONSTRUCTION I Filed Oct. 26, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 w k m %H- N. x Q bi n g n E Q 3mm,

H.- P. FREAR Sept. 7, 1937.

SHIP CONSTRUCTION 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Oct. 26, 1936 Patented Sept. 7, "1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE smr coNs'muc'noN Hugo P. Frear, New York, N. Y., assignor to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd., a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,584 11 claims. (c1. 114-116) My invention has'reference to improvements in the design of the structural arrangement for stiffening and supporting the wall of a tank in a vessel especially designed to carry liquid cargo in bulk. It is more particularly an improvement on a ship structure such as isdisclosed in my previous application Serial No. 731,239 which application issued as Patent 2,029,712 of February 4, 1936, and for which'I have applied for a reissue, Serial No. 93,623, filedJuly 31, 1936.

, In vessels of the type referred to it is common to have bottom, side, and deck plating, which together with abutting, or intersecting, trans vessels may be more expeditiously and economically manufactured.

In my prior application no particular refer- 30 ence or claim was made to any specific form of subsidiary stiffeners for thebulkheads other than those of some conventional type shown in the drawings and briefly described in the specifications. It is a particular object of this my present application to provide an improved structural design specifically intended to replace the heretofore usual and conventional forms of subsidary stiffeners or beams indicated in said application by employment of novel means equally effective 40 structurally thereto and at the same time economical in weight of material required and in cost to manufacture.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved substitute for the usual and conven- 45 tional commercial rolled steel structural shapes usually used as subsidiary stiffeners in ship construction but otherwise supported as in said application. Such substitution consists in employing a fluted form of subsidiary stiffener comprised 55 form of stiifener shall be equal to in mechanical effectiveness and shall be interchangeable therewith the heretofore usually provided commercial rolled steel stifiene'r when similarly used.

In my above mentioned prior application it was assumed that a bulkhead when under load' 5 is subjected to a fluid pressure load over its entire surface and that such surface was the entire area of the bulk head plating. This area was then conceived to be sub-divided into quite clearly defined main load sustaining areas which were 10 most efliciently supported and stiffened when treated independently as such rather than if the entire area of the bulkhead were treated in the usual conventional way as a unit. In my said prior application I disclosed, described, and 5 claimed a structure supporting an area by means of spaced girders supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed walls, and a plurality of come mercial stifieners supported by said girders transversly thereto having their ends jutting beyond 0 their respective points of support on their adjacent girder.

It is also an object of this invention to extend said substitution to the stifiening beams of other said conceived load sustaining areas as may be considered desirable by any one skilled in the It is also an object of this invention to extend said substitution to the stiffening beams of longitudinal bulkheads.

The novel features will be more fully understood from the following description andclaims taken with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically a front elevation of a wing transverse bulkhead and of a middle transverse bulkhead embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 40 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is similar to-but a variation of Fig. 2, showing how commercial rolled steel shapes may be substituted for my fluted stiifeners; Fig. 5 represents diagrammatically a front elevation of a longitudinal bulkhead embodying my invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig.5; Fig. 'l is a modification of the middle transverse v bulkhead shown in Fig. 1, showing a variation in the form of my fluted stifieners;

Fig. 8 is a. cross section taken along the line 8-8of Fig.7;'

' hended by what is shown when regarded by those- Fig. 9 is a cross section taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is another modification of the middle transverse bulkhead shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a cross section taken along the line H-H of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a cross section taken along the line i2-l2 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 represents diagrammatically a modiflcation of a front elevation of a wing bulkhead similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and of a middle transverse bulkhead similar to that shown in Fig. 7, showing how commercial rolled steel shapes may be substituted for my fluted stiffeners;

Fig. 14 is a cross section taken along the line l4--l4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a cross section taken along the line l5-l5 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 represents diagrammatically still another modification of a front elevation of a wing transverse bulkhead and of a middle transverse bulkhead similar to that shown in Fig. 13 but showing a variation in the form of my fluted stiffeners;

Fig. i? is a cross section taken along the line I'd-ll of Fig. 16; and

Fig. 18 is a cross section taken along the line i8--i3 of Fig. 16.

For the purpose of a better understanding throughout this specification, I prefer the use of the following nomenclature relating to the supporting and stiffening of bulkheads wherein:--Webs are girders or principal members widely spaced which provide the main support direct from the walls or the bulkheads; Beams are secondary members usually widely spaced, supported by webs, and supporting in turn stiffeners; and, Stiffeners are subsidiary members usually closely spaced supported by webs or beams and chiefly contributing stiffeners or.

rigidity to the plating of the bulkheads. Functionally integral will be descriptive of a unitary structure whether formed of a single piece or a unit comprising a plurality of parts welded, riveted, or otherwise suitably attached one to another. "structurally integral will be descriptive of a unitary structure formed of a single piece. Also, the term coincident and associated terms where used herein to describe one portion of the bulkhead plating with respect to another portion thereof is to be understood to include in its reference the relationship of flat plates joined together by means of a lap joint. Walls, where used in connection with bulkheads will be interpreted broadly as any closing side of the vessel as a whole, or of a room, or of a tank within the vessel. The term Extended ends or Jutted ends will be used in the description of a stiffener or beam supported at two or more points where the ends project beyond their nearest support in the form of a cantilever or an overhung beam with unsupported ends.

Also, with respect to the drawings it is to be understood that only the more essential elements are indicated, and that where a view is partially shown that which is omitted is readily compreskilled in the art.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 which illustrate the embodiment of my invention as applied to the transverse bulkheads of a liquid cargo carrying vessel, the vessel is shown diagrammatically to comprise the deck 30, the sides 3|, the bottom 32, the longitudinal bulkhead 33, the

wing transverse bulkhead 34, and the middle transverse bulkhead 35.

A wing transverse bulkhead 34 comprises the bulkhead plate 36 suitably attached at its periphery to the vessel's deck 30, side 3|, bottom 32, and longitudinal bulkhead 33 by any conventional means such as the boundary angles 31. The horizontal webs 38 and the stiffener 39 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 36 and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels side 3| and longitudinal bulkhead 33. The brackets 40 and 4| are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 36 opposite to the webs 38 and their function is to add support and continuity to the longitudinal bulkhead 33. The brackets 42 are functionally integral with the webs 38 and are suitably attached to and supported by the side 3|. As shown the bulkhead plate 36 is provided with vertical flutes 43. These flutes 43 may be rolled, pressed, or otherwise integrally formed in the bulkhead plate 38. These flutes 43 function as stiifeners supported by the webs 38, into which they are fitted, and they support and give rigidity to the bulkhead plate 36, (I;

which they are an integral part, with effectiveness equal to that obtained were conventional commercial rolled steel stiffeners similarly used on a continuous flat plate 36. The ends of the flutes 43 act in cantilever fashion as they extend, or jut, beyond their nearest adjacent supporting web 38 by reason of being stopped substantially short of the deck 30 and of the bottom 32.

The middle transverse bulkhead 35 comprises the bulkhead plate 44 suitably attached to the vessels deck 36, longitudinal bulkheads 33, and

bottom 32 by any conventional means such as boundary angles 45. The vertical webs 46 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate i l and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels deck 33 and bottom 32. The subsidiary stiffener 41 is suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 44 and is supported by and suitably attached to the webs 46. The subsidiary stiffener 48 is suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 4 3 and is supported by and suitably attached to the longitudinal bulkheads 33 and the webs 46. As shown the bulkhead plate 44 is provided with the horizontal flutes 49 and the vertical flutes 50. These flutes are similar to the flutes 43 and similarly they may be rolled, pressed, or otherwise integrally formed in the bulkhead plate 40. The flutes 49 function as stiffeners supported by the webs 46, into which they are fitted, and they support and give rigidity to a main central portion of the bulkhead plate 44. The flutes 50 also function as stifleners supported by the brackets 5i, and they support and give rigidity to the wall areas adjacent the longitudinal bulkheads. It will be noted that the ends of all the stiifeners 49 and 50 extend beyond their nearest adjacent points of support and that they are substantially short of that adjacent one of the boundary walls to which it is longitudinally opposed. The brackets 5| are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 44 and are suitably attached to and supported by 46, or otherwise, as one skilled in the. art may decide.

Fig. 4, I use to show the interchangeability and rolled steel sections. Here the middle transverse bulkhead 52 is identical with the bulkhead 35 of Fig. 1 with the exception of the vertical flutes, or fluted stifleners 58. In substitution for each fluted stiffener 511 I show a pair of channel stifleners 53 which maybe so proportioned as to be the equivalent in physical properties and structural effectiveness as the flute 56 of the bulkhead plate 44. It will now be apparent that I could in the same manner substitute similar conventional typestifieners for any or all of the flutes 43, 49, or 53.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6. I show the embodiment of my invention as applied to the longitudinal bulkheads of the same vessel as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. I have as in Fig. 1 the deck 36, the bottom 32, the wing transverse bulkheads 34, and the middle transverse bulkheads 35 which frame and define a longitudinal bulkhead panel 54 and which are suitably attached thereto by any conventional means such as the boundary angles 31 and 55. The longitudinal bulkhead panel 54 comprises the bulkhead plate 56. The

vertical webs 51 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 56 and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels deck 33 and bottom 32. The subsidiary stifieners 58 and 59 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 56 and are only to be regarded as stifieners for which flutes are preferably not substituted. As shown the bulkhead plate 56 is provided with the horizontal flutes 60 substantially similar in structure to the flutes 43, 43, and 58. The flutes 68 function as stiifeners supported by the webs 51, into which they are tltted,and they support and give rigidity to the main central portion of the bulkhead plate 56. r

Referring now to-Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I show a embodiment of my 'invention as applied to a middle transverse bulkhead.- It differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in having all the flutes used as stlfieners disposed in a vertical and parallel relationship, and in having the bulkhead plate built up of a plurality of parts as I will now describe.

The middle transverse bulkhead 6| comprises the suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 62 and are suitably attached toand supported by the webs 64. The beams 65 have their ends extending, or jutting, beyond their nearest adjacent supporting web 64 but are stopped substantially short of the longitudinal bulkheads 33. In this modification the bulkhead plate 62 instead of having its fluted stiffener-s pressed integrally into a single plate, as in Fig. 1, comprises the marginal plates 66 and 61, the fluted plate 68 and the flute end cover plates 69. The fluted plate 68 has a series of flutes 18 rolled or pressed transverse thereof so that its general cross section is constant for the full width thereof and may be said to comprise the a 1 elements .11 connected to the elements 12 by the sloping side elements 13. The upper and lower edges of the elements 1| overlap the inner edges 0! the marginal plates 66 .and 61 respectively and are suitably attached to one another as by welding. The ends of the flutes 10 are closed by the cover plates 68 suitably attached thereto and to the marginal plates'66 and 61 as by welding. In the joining'together oi the various parts that go to make up the unit bulkhead plate 62 the Joints so required whether byriveting, or as preferred, by welding shall be watertight. In the structure just described the elements 1| may be said to be in a plane coincident with that of the marginal plates 66 and 61, so that the structure of the bulkhead plate 62 as a whole is broadly the;

ends extending, or jutting, beyond their nearest point of support. The subsidiary stiflener 16 is suitably attached to the front face of the marginal plate 61 and is supported by and suitably at-'- tached to the longitudinal bulkheads 33 and the webs 64. f

Referring now to Figs. 10, 11, and 12 I show an embodiment of my invention as applied to a modiflcation of a middle transverse bulkhead similar to that shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. Here the middle transverse bulkhead11 comprises the bulkhead plate 18 suitably attached to the vessels deck 19, longitudinal bulkheads'8ll, and bottom 8| by any conventional means such as the boundary angles 82. The vertical webs 83 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate 18 and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels deck 19 and bottom 8|. The beams 64 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate and differ from the beams 65v of Fig. 7 in that they extend unbroken between the longitudinal bulkheads 80, and are supported by and suitably attached to the said bulkheads 86 and the webs 83. The bulkhead plate 18 comprises the marginal plates 65 and 86, the fluted plate 81, and the flute end cover plates 88 and 89. Here the cover plates 88 and 89 each cover a plurality of flute ends. Otherwise the fluted plate 81 is identical in structure to that shown in Figs. '7, 8, and 9. Here, as before described, the flutes function as supported stifleners and have their ends extending beyond their adjacent supporting beam. Here the marginal plates and 86 are deeper in proportion to those previously shown for reasons stated in connection with Fig. 1. The subsidiary stiflfeners 98 and 91 are provided to give them required strength and rigidity and are of the same relative importance as stated for stiffeners 48 in connection with Fig. 1.

In Figs. 13, 14, and 15, I show another modifica- ,tion embodying certain features of my invention and further illustrating the interchangeability of design as between my fluted type of jutted end stiflener and the use of commercial rolled steel shapes as jutted end stifieners. In Figs. 13, 14,

and 15 I show a similar arrangement of stifieners as is shown in the wing transverse bulkhead of Fig. 1 and in the middle transverse bulkhead of Fig. '7. In Figs. 13, 14, and 15, I show vertical stiib eners 32 comprised of standard rolled steel channels substituted for the flutedstiffeners 43 of Fig.

.- 1 and 10 of Fig. '1, The webs 93 are identical with the webs 38 of Fig. 1 except for the necessary change for the fitting-in of the stifle-hers. The beams 94 differ from the beams 65 of Fig. '7 in that they extend continuous between the bulkhead walls 33 in a similar manner to the beams 84 of Fig. 10. The bulkhead plates 95 and 96, here shown are flat, and differ therein, of course, from the integral fluted bulkhead plate 36 of Fig. l and from the built up fluted bulkhead plate 62 of Fig. 7. The feature in these Figs. 13, 14, and 15 that embodies my invention is of having the ends of the stiffeners 92 extending, or jutting, beyond their adjacent points of support but substantially short of the adjacent wall supporting the bulkhead.

Coming now to Figs. 16, 1'7, and 18, I show an.

embodiment of my invention as applied to a modification of the wing transverse bulkhead shown in Fig. l and of the middle transverse bulkhead shown in Fig. '7. This modification varies from those just referred to mainly in the manner in which the bulkhead plate is built up of a plurality of parts to comprise when assembled fluted stiffeners equivalent to those shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. '7. As in Figs. 1 and 7, I show in Figs. l6, l7, and 18 the vessels deck 30, sides 3I, bottom 32, and longitudinal bulkheads 33. I show also the wing transverse bulkhead 91 and the middle transverse bulkhead 98.

The wing transverse bulkhead 9! comprises the bulkhead plate 99 suitably attached at its periphery to the vessels deck 30, side 3i, bottom 32, and longitudinal bulkhead 33 by any conventional means such as the boundary angles LII 31. The horizontal webs I and the stifiener I 0I are attached to the bulkhead plate 99 and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels side 3| and longitudinal bulkhead 33. The bulkhead plate 99 comprises the top marginal plate I 02, the side marginal plates I03 and I 04, the bottom marginal plate I05, the fluted stiffeners I06, and the flute end cover plates I0'l. The fluted stiffeners I06 are fitted in and supported by the webs I00 with their ends jutted beyond their nearest web I00. A fluted stiffener I06 may be a rolled or pressed section, or otherwise integrally formed, and is comprised of the wall I08, the side walls I09 and H0, and the flanges III and H2. It is my intention that the fluted stiffeners I06 may be joined together, as by welding, one to another and to the side marginal plates I03 and I04. When thus assembled the marginal plates I03 and I04 together with the fluted stiifeners I06 form'a fluted plate II3 similar in useto the fluted plate 66 described in connection with Fig. 7. It is desirable that when so assembled that the fluted plate II3'have a face at the upper and lower edges thereof in a common plane for convenience in attaching, as by lap welded joints, to the inner edges of the marginal plates I02 and I05. To meet this desideratum I prefer to make the wall I09 of the fluted stiffener I06 longer by the amount of the thickness of the plate used than the wall IIO. In this way when the stiifeners I06 are joined together one with another and to the side marginal plate I 04 the faces thereof are in a common plane. In order to complete the desideratum as far as side marginal plate I03 is concerned I prefer to use a filler piece H4 at each end of the side marginal plate I03 to have the full width of the fluted plate H3 at its edges in a common plane. "The flute end cover plates I01 are preferably welded to the ends of the fluted stifieners I 06 and to the marginal plates I02 and I05.

All the joints making up the unit bulkhead plate 99 should be watertight.

The middle transverse bulkhead H5 is similar in construction to that just described for the wing transverse bulkhead 91 and willbe readily comprehended by what has been described herein before without further detail description. The middle transverse bulkhead II5 comprises the bulkhead plate H6 suitably attached to the vessels deck 30, longitudinal bulkheads 33, and bottom 32 as by angles III. The vertical webs H8 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate H6 and are suitably attached to and supported by the vessels deck and bottom 32. The beams II9 are suitably attached to the bulkhead plate H6 and are suitably attached to and supported 1 (webs H8) but substantially short of the bulkheads 33. The stiffener I20 is similar to 48 in Fig. l and is suitably attached to the bulkhead plate H6 and is supported by and suitably attached to the bulkheads 33 and the webs H8. The bulkhead plate II6 comprises the top marginal plate I2I, the side marginal plate I22, the bottom marginal plate I23, the fluted stiifeners I24, and the flute end cover plates I25. The fluted stiffeners I 24 are identical to the fluted stiifeners I06 and need not be further described. It will be noted that here no marginal plate is required on the left side and therefore no filler piece is, required. Also if desired a special section might be used on the righthand side in which the side marginal plate I22 would be integral therewith. The two end ones of the fluted stiif- 1 eners I24 are supported by the brackets I26 and have their ends jutted beyond their nearest supporting bracket. The brackets I26 are attached to and supported by the bulkheads 33.

In all the arrangements in which the fluted stifieners have been shown and described up to this point they have been shown and described in the preferred form in which the flute is formed in the bulkhead plate toward its supporting webs, beams, or brackets, with its open face on the rear face of said bulkhead plate. However, it is apparent that the direction of facing of these flutes could be reversed without departing from the scope of my invention. To illustrate this point I show in dotted lines reversed flutes I21 applied to Fig. 3. It is equally applicable to the types of flutes shown in Figs. 7 and 16. It is equivalent to stating that the supporting webs, beams, and/or brackets may be applied to either side of the bulkhead plates as shown.

In Figs. 10 and 12, I show a modification to my multiple fluted plate of preferred use when it is desirable to attach multiple fluted sections one to another. The multiple fluted plate I28 comprises the walls I29, the walls I30, the connecting walls I3I, the left flange I32, and the right flange I33. It will be noted that the rear face of the right flange I33 is in facial alignment with the front face of the left flange I32. In this manner when I wish to join two or more multiple fluted plates together, such as the plate I23 to the plate I36, the joining flanges I33 of the plate I23 and I 0f he plate I34 overlap one another, so that in the assembled relationship of the two plates all the faces of the rear walls are in facial alignment, convenient for suitable attachment one to another and to the upper and lower marginal plates 35 and 86 respectively.

' Generally speaking it is preferred, for conthereof. 'Also,'the said stifienerin each case is between two adjacent flutes be approximately 60" and that the mean width of a flute be approximately 30" to agree withthe most common spacing of ordinary stiffeners.

From the foregoing description it will now be readily recognized by those skilled in the art that I have a novel method of ship construction which sacrifice in efliciency or strength. It is also apparent that I have followed the principles taught in my said prior application, and herein extended, for supporting and stiifening bulkheads, and as particularly set forth herein as the object of my invention. I have shown and described a variety of arrangements for the supporting and stiflening .of bulkheads but eachv arrangement has comprised a stiffener characterized by being supported by. a web, beam, or bracket in such a manner that an end juts, 01' extends, beyond its nearest of said supports toward one of the bulkhead boundary walls -but substantially short characterized by structure whereby it enters into the main plating of the bulkhead as an integral flute therein, or functionally integralthereon by attachment.

I do not wish it to be understood that my above described methods are limited in their application to vessels of the type described and it is manifest that the principle of design herein set forth could be utilized with other well known types of ship construction.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and Ihave no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the .features thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- .ent is:

1. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining. wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, and spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, the said load sustaining wall comprising a'plate'having functionally integral therewith a relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portion transverse to and supported at points on said .webs, the ends of said fluted recessed portion extending beyond its rebut substantially short of the two remaining of spective points of support on its adjacent web said boundary wallsrespectively.

3. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, andspaced webs-supported v at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, said load sustaining wall comprising a plate having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow I parallel closed end fluted recessed portions transverse to and supported at points on said webs,

the ends of said fluted recessed portions extend-' ing beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent web but substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively. is particularly economical of weight without any,

4. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, and spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary -wa'lls, said load sustaining wall comprising a plurality of plates each having functionally integral therewith a relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portion transverse to and supported at points on said webs, the ends of said fluted recessed portions extending beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent web but substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively.

5. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to saidload sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, a plurality of beams supported by said webs transversely thereto having their ends substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively, and a plurality of stiflEeners attached to said load sustaining wall supported at points on said beams transversely thereto, the ends of said stifien'ers extending beyond their respective points of. support on their adjacent beam but substantially short of the first. mentioned two of said boundary walls respective- 6. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, and a plurality of beams supported by said webs transversely thereto having their ends substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively, the said load sustaining wall comprising a plate having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow parallel closed end fluted recessed portions transverse to and supported at points on said beams, the ends of said fluted recessed portions extending beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent beam but substantially short of the first mentioned two of said boundary walls respectively.

7. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, and a plurality 'of beams supported by said webs transversely thereto having their ends substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively, the said load sustaining wall comprising a plurality of plates each having functionally integral there-. with a relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portion transverse to and supported at points on said beams, the ends of said fluted recessed portions extending beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent beam but substantially short of the, first mentioned two of said boundary walls respectively.

8. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, a plurality of stiifeners attached to said load sustaining wall and supported at points on said webs transversely thereto, spaced supporting means attached to each of the two remaining of said boundary walls, and stifieners attached to said load sustaining wall and supported at points on said supporting means parallel to said webs, the ends of each of all said stifieners extending beyond their respective adjacent points of support but substantially short of the boundary wall to which they are individually longitudinally opposed.

' 9. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, and spaced supporting means attached to each of the two remaining of said boundary walls, the said load sustaining wall comprising a plate having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portions, certain of said recessed portions being transverse to and supported at points on said webs and certain their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, a plurality of beams supported by said webs transversely thereto having their ends substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively, a plurality of stiffeners attached to said load sustaining wall supported at points on said beams transversely thereto and parallel to said webs, spaced supporting means attached to each of the second mentioned two of said boundary walls, and stiffeners attached to said load sustaining wall and supported at points on said supporting means parallel to said webs, the ends of each of all said stiffeners extending beyond their respective adjacent points of support but substantially short of the boundary wall to which they are individually longitudinally opposed.

11. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, a plurality of beams supported by said webs transversely thereto having their ends substantially short of the two remaining of said boundary walls respectively, and spaced supporting means attached to each of the second mentioned two of said boundary walls, the said load sustaining wall comprising a plate having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portions, certain of said recessed portions being transverse to and supported at points on said beams and certain other of said recessed ary wall to which they are individually longitudinally opposed.

12. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to'said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of 1 said boundary walls, a plurality of beams supported at their ends by the two remaining oppositely disposed of said boundary walls and intermediate thereof by the said webs transversely thereto, and a plurality of stiffeners attached to said load sustaining wall supported at points on said beams transversely thereto, the ends of said stiffeners extending beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent beam but substantially short of the first mentioned two of said boundary walls respectively.

13. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, and a plurality of beams supported at their ends by the two remaining oppositely disposed of said boundary walls and intermediateihereof by the said webs transversely thereto, the said load sustaining wall comprising a plate having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow parallel closed end fluted recessed portions transverse to and supported at points on said beams, the ends of said fluted recessed portions extending beyond their respective points of support on their adjacent beam but substantially short of the first mentioned two of said boundary walls respectively.

14. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, four boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, spaced webs supported at their ends by two oppositely disposed of said boundary walls, and a plurality of beams supported at their ends by the two remaining oppositely disposed of said boundary walls and intermediate thereof by the said webs transversely thereto, the said load sustaining wall comprising 15. In a ship structure, a load sustaining wall,

boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, a plurality of stifieners attached to said load sustaining wall, and means attached to said boundary walls comprising spaced points of support for said stifleners, the said stiffeners extending beyond their respective points of support on said means but substantially short of the boundary wall to which they are individually longitudinally opposed.

16. In a ship structure, a load sustaining wall, boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, the said load sustaining wall comprising plating having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portions, and means attached to said boundary walls comprising spaced points of support for said fluted recessed portions, the said fluted recessed portions extending beyond their respective points of support on said means but substantially short of the boundary wall to which they are individually longitudinally opposed.

17. In a ship structure, a rectangular load sustaining wall, boundary walls normal to said load sustaining wall, the said load sustaining wall comprising plating having functionally integral therewith a plurality of relatively long and narrow closed end fluted recessed portions, and means attached to said boundary walls comprising spaced points of support for said fluted recessed portions. the said fluted recessed portions HUGO P. FREAR. 

